The Scent of Pine and Roses
by TheNotSoNiceLibrarian
Summary: Everyone knew the rumors that surrounded the Silver Forest; so it was no surprise when construction crews ran into complications . What did surprise her was how she got roped into this stupid errand, managed to get hurt THEN managed to run into two of the infamous demons who lived there. Who knew demons were so tempting? She didn't know whether to kill her sister or kiss her
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own IY or YYH**

**A/N: Ok I know I shouldn't be starting anything else what with _Lies By Omissions_ and _Call of the Dragon_ still needing work... however, this stupid little plot-bunny snagged me and wouldn't leave me alone... it was suppose to be a short little one-shot to clear my head so I could finish my other fics... somehow it turned into a near 50 page story... -_- Anyway, I hope ya'll like it.**

**P.S. This is a crossover to by it's very nature this means it's an AU. Furthermore, this really IS an AU. So if that bothers you, hit that back button... but please don't nitpick because 'it's not like the anime/manga'...you've been warned.**

The Haunted Wood

She stared at the dark ancient forest before her and felt a shiver of unease slither down her spine.

Figures Kikyo and that idiot InuYasha would take on a job of this magnitude. Those two didn't have enough sense between them to buy a postage stamp.

Sighing with aggravation, Kagome turned the key and cut the engine on her Lancer. Darkness engulfed the interior of the vehicle; there were no street lights here, only the silvery nearly non-existent moonlight and the faint glow of the city lights in the distance.

Four years ago, her sister Kikyo and her fiancé InuYasha, created an extermination business. They didn't exterminate just anything though; no, they specialized in ghosts and demons.

Kikyo was what was known as a Miko, a type of priestess that had the ability to purify certain types of energy. Despite not actually serving any shrine, or doing anything to actually earn the title of 'Miko'; Kikyo was a natural at exterminating. Her fiancé, InuYasha, being a half demon, also had license to be a major bad-ass in the exterminating world.

The couple were good at their job; so good, in fact, and their company was so exclusive that they had to hire more people to help.

The first addition to the team had been Sango, whose family had been in the demon hunting business since ancient times; though never as mainstream as Kikyo's business.

The second addition was a lecherous but skillful monk named Miroku. Kagome liked both Sango and Miroku well enough; even if the slayer spent a large portion of time knocking Miroku upside the head for his wondering hands.

Together, Kagome had to admit, they made a pretty awesome team. Unfortunately, not a single one of them had any business sense what-so-ever; which was how Kagome ended up getting recruited to this ridiculous party.

While Kikyo, InuYasha and team had been gallivanting around Japan, slaying demons and blessing houses with 'ominous auras'; Kagome had gotten a business degree and had seized the rare opportunity to intern at the world renown Taisho Corp BioMedical Research Center.

Over the next three years, Kagome had managed to weasel, fight and claw her way to become Sesshomaru Taisho's personal assistant; a position that many business students would kill to have.

Did her sister take that into account when she dumped all of her business paperwork on her desk and demanded that Kagome help her organize and run her business? Nope.

Did their mother congratulate Kagome on snagging a position with one of the most influential businessmen in the world? Nope.

Does her obnoxious spoiled sister or mother even acknowledge the fact that Kagome was being NICE and helping...no, of course not.

The little princess just took it as her due.

_What a bitch_, Kagome thought, searching her car; trying to find the blasted flashlight so she could go find this bloody paperwork that her bitch of a sister couldn't even have the decency to bring home with her... oh noooo... Kagome had to drive all the way out to the middle of freaking nowhere to the edge of a fucking haunted forest to get paperwork she didn't want to do for a person she had no desire to help!

_Fuck my life, _she swore mentally; even Sesshomaru wasn't as bloody demanding as her blasted sister.

Snatching the small mag-lite from the glove box, she climbed out of her nice, safe Lancer… and proceeded to slowly make her way through the dark, abandoned, and probably dangerous construction site.

A large section of the forest had been removed; it was with the desecration of the forest that the attacks had begun. The workers claimed that the forest had attacked them; the very plants and trees had come alive and attacked the workers who were attempting to cut them down.

Kagome wouldn't be surprised; why wouldn't the flora in THIS forest attempt to defend itself? Which brought her to her next issue….what sort of arrogant ass thought they could rip up the Silver Forest?

Everyone knew the legends; the forest was rumored to be the home of a rare Silver Kitsune- hence how the area got its name. It was also rumored that at least two other powerful entities lived in the forest, one was said to be covered in swirling purple marks and thick dark fur...the other was supposed to be a so fast, the human eye couldn't track him, with claws made of steel that could slice through anything without warning.

People were always seeing strange things within the forest. A lot of people had gone missing over the years; or would find themselves horribly lost despite having maps and compasses. Or would go into the forest, and no matter which direction they went, they would always find themselves right back at the place they entered.

Everyone avoided the forest; bad things always happened to those who were dumb enough to disregard the legends.

Kagome shook her head trying to dispel the unease that continued to creep up her spine.

Around her, construction equipment rose like huge prehistoric monsters from the shadows. She swallowed hard.

"Just get the paperwork and go home," she said softly to herself, her own personal mantra, the silence around her doing nothing to ease her growing unease. "Just get the paperwork and go home..."

No crickets chirped, no frogs sang...only the eerie creaks and groans of the machinery shifting in the breeze could be heard along with the faint drone of the highway.

_Something was watching her._

The knowledge hit her like a lightning bolt; she didn't know how she knew...but she was certain that she was being watched.

"Why do I always get stuck doing these things?" She muttered, "Why can't I just tell her 'no, do it your own fucking self'? But noooo, instead here I am, in the middle of night, outside a haunted forest, alone and something is watching me. Bloody hell, I don't get paid enough for this bull...oh wait...Kikyo doesn't freaking pay me."

Three pairs of eyes watched the woman rant quietly to herself as she stumbled through the barren area where their forest once stood.

"She's cute," one stated, dark eyes following the subtle curve of a leg as her skirt rose up, "check out those legs..."

"Yes...she is stunning..." another agreed, golden eyes narrowed, "though, she bares a strong resemblance to that miko bitch with the dog."

"What do you think he-man..." the first asked, turning to regard the third member of their group.

Glowing red orbs regarded him silently for a moment before he disappeared from sight.

"Hmph," the first snorted, "guess he ain't interested."

"Feh...you know his opinion on humans..."

"True..." he replied to his silver haired companion, giving the other man a lecherous smirk, "shall we make our presence known to the lovely lady."

"Indeed..."

Kagome stumbled and went sprawling; the flashlight flying out of her hand to roll across the packed dirt. Kagome hissed in pain and clutching her hand to her; she could feel the warm, wetness ooze through her fingers and the coppery scent of blood filled her nose. Her ankle throbbed painfully, and her knee burned... she didn't need to look to see that she had scrapped both.

Damn her stupidity for wearing wedge sandals out to a construction site. She should have made that extra 30 min trip back to her house to change.

Hell, who was she kidding? If she had gone home there was no way that she would have turned around and gone back out...then Kikyo would raise a bitch fit because the paperwork didn't get imputed and finally Kagome would hear it not only from the team...but from her mother.

"Son of a sail eating snarflax!" She swore, snatching the cloth belt from around her waist to wrap around her hand.

Masculine laughter filled the air; "A snail eating snarflax..?" a deep baritone chuckled, "creative..."

Kagome froze, searching the shadows for her audience; she wanted to curse some more, she hadn't even felt the two aura's coming toward her.

"Creative..." another voice, velvety and warm like chocolate covered sin, agreed, "not to graceful though."

"I never claimed I was," she snapped, glaring in the direction of that voice;

She shoved herself to her feet, wincing as her knee protested the movement, "in fact, I'll be the first to admit I'm a total klutz."

Kagome glanced around, than limped over to pick up her flashlight; she could feel something warm sliding down her calf. Damn, she obviously injured her knee worse than a mere 'scrape'.

"Now if you two are done laughing at me," she growled, "I'd like to find this stupid paperwork so I can bloody well go home!"

In hindsight, Kagome probably should have been frightened that she was alone with two strange men in a deserted construction site... but, at the moment... she was hurt and furious...all she wanted to do was go home, tend her wounds, and go to bed.

"Paperwork?" The first voice repeated, disbelief dripping from his tone. "You're out here to get paperwork?"

"Yes..." she hissed, "I don't suppose either of you gentlemen have seen a manila folder sitting on one of these machines have you?"

Silence met her question; she didn't need to see the two men to know they were shocked and a bit confused.

"Generally speaking, chickadee," the first voice said from behind her, close enough that she was certain should she turn around, he'd be perched on the concrete tube behind her, easily within arm's length," most folks tend to freak out and run when they see us...not ask us for help."

"Yea well I can't really 'see' either of you now can I?" She replied, resisting the urge to spin around and attempt to catch the man with her light, "furthermore, I'm kinda bleeding all over myself here so I'd like to find this stupid file so I can go home, get cleaned up and contemplate the best way to repay my dear sweet sister for this marvelous evening..." Kagome paused for a moment, a wicked smile curling her lips, "I'm thinking laxatives in coffee...yea...that way I can get all of them."

"Dude..." that deep baritone said softly, "I'm thinking we should have left this one alone…she's creeping ME out a bit..."

"Hey, I heard that!" Kagome grumbled, as she started her search again, only this time much slower.

She could feel the two 'men' following her; their energy danced along her senses. She wasn't as proficient with her powers as her sister was; but she was gifted enough that she didn't need to see either of them to know that both were demons... powerful ones.

She had always felt the soft buzz of demonic power coming from the forest; and in the last couple of years… there had been three distinct energies that she could sense whenever she visited her half-brother Souta and his mother, whose apartment was near the mountain forest.

She recognized these two energies easily as two of the three powerful demons who called the forest home. The third she could barely sense somewhere further off…almost on the other side of the mountain.

Neither demon spoke as she moved through the construction site; instead the two just followed her, like silent shadows.

After what felt like ages, Kagome finally spotted the thrice damned file. Only, it wasn't 'on' a piece of machinery...it was freaking _inside_, sitting on the driver's seat.

Swearing a blue streak that would have made a sailor blush; Kagome gritted her teeth and climbed up onto the bulldozer, her leg and hand throbbed painfully with each movement.

She snatched up the file and shoved it into the messenger bag that doubled as her purse/briefcase.

As she turned, the world seemed to tilt and spin.

* * *

Yusuke watched as the woman climbed up onto the bulldozer, leaving smears of blood in her wake. He blinked at that... she was losing an awful lot of blood...

As if on cue; the woman turned and swayed... stumbling as her injured leg gave out under her.

Kagome felt herself falling, she braced herself for an impact with the hard unyielding ground. Only, it wasn't dirt she collided with…. But rather something solid and warm; strong arms wrapped around her, cushioning her fall even as the scent of pine fill her head.

"Damn you are a klutz," the deep rich baritone stated, his warm breath caressing her ear. Kagome swallowed and glanced up at her rescuer.

His face was cast in shadows, obscuring his features; only his eyes were visible, reflecting what little light there was like a cats.

"I told you so," she said softly, feeling a blush spread across her face, "thank you for catching me..."

The demon snorted and set her gently back on the ground. Kagome pushed away from him; only to have everything spin once more.

"Hey, are you ok?" The demon asked, a note of concern creeping into his deep voice as he steadied her again. Kagome blinked several times; very glad for the demon's hold on her... everything seemed to be spinning.

"Honestly," she croaked closing her eyes, "no... everything is spinning.."

"She's lost to much blood," the velvety voice stated from behind her, "she must have injured herself worse than we thought..."

"Yaaay for Captain Obvious..." Kagome muttered, feeling sick to her stomach. Plus she was so tired... tired of Kikyo, tired of InuYasha, tired of her mother, tired of never being good enough, of always being compared to her sister...she was just fucking...tired...

"Damn..." she mumbled, her voice slurring slightly, "would you two be so kind as to take me back to my car, please? I think my phone is there...need to call an ambulance..."

Yusuke caught the strange woman as she collapsed; out cold. He glanced at Kurama.

"Ok..." he muttered, "Sooo not how I expected that encounter to go. Now what?"

Kurama moved forward and took the woman's hand. The cloth strip she had wrapped around it was soaked with blood. The gash on her palm was deep; it looked like someone had taken a knife and sliced the meat of her palm from forefinger to wrist.

Her knee was little better; they could see white bone in the gash on her kneecap.

"Damn..." Yusuke breathed, "What the hell did she fall on?"

"A piece of metal no doubt," Kurama replied, "bring her to the tree line, we need to stop the bleeding."

Yusuke slide his arm under her knees and easily lifted her slight form... the girl barely weighted anything at all.

Kurama disappeared into the forest for a moment then returned carrying a handful of silvery spider webs.

"This will help staunch the bleeding," Kurama replied to his friend's unspoken question. "And this..." he continued, placing petals of some kind on the wounds, "it will draw out any poison within the wound and help prevent infection."

Next, the wound was wrapped tightly; the fibrous leaf the kitsune used making an excellent bandage.

"Now what?" Yusuke asked again, glancing down at the young woman's face.

"Do as she asked and return her to her car," the older demon replied with a shrug, "if her phone is indeed there then we can call the paramedics".

* * *

Kagome could feel herself moving; though the sensation felt strange... She was warm and the pleasant scent of pine had her trying to curl closer to the warmth.

A deep chuckle made her blink and look up; the face was still in shadow though now she could make out the smooth line of a jaw, and the outline of lips curled in a smirk, and the dark streak of some sort of facial marking.

"Awake?" Her rescuer asked, his voice rumbling deep in his chest. She shivered at the sound.

The arms around her tightened slightly, pressing her closer to his warmth and that tantalizing scent she was becoming so fond of.

"Cold?" He asked.

She shook her head, letting her head relax against his chest. She could feel his demonic energy buzzing softly against her own; it was somehow... comforting. How odd that she felt so comfortable and...safe within this demons embrace...

Yusuke glanced down at the petite woman who blinked sleepily up at him.

"Hang on," he told her, as he leapt down toward the vehicle below them. Thin, soft arms clutched at him for a moment as they fell. He grinned, enjoying the feel of her in his arms far more then he should.

He shifted his hold on her; moving her slightly higher so he could move easier.

Her nose seemed to burrow into his neck for a moment.

"You smell good, demon," she said softly, her breath caressing his sensitive skin. Yusuke shivered, his knees going weak at the pleasure that small action caused.

Wait…what did she say?

Kagome clutched at the demon's bare chest as he seemed to stumble for a moment at her words.

He glanced sharply down at her, cat-like eyes glinting in the dark;

"How the hell do you know what I am?" he growled. Kagome blinked sleepily and smiled.

"Your energy…" she replied, gently hovering her hand over his chest, feeling their auras flare against each other. "I could always sense it on this mountain….It feels different…." She smiled, "feels good…"

Yusuke could barely breathe as her energy rose, so similar to the miko who was trying to force them from the mountain. Yet unlike the miko, this woman's energy wasn't painful. It slide along his own, both warm and cool at the same time; comforting and refreshing.

He bit down on his tongue has she nuzzled his neck again,

"...injured and delusional...you will behave... she's injured and delusional..." he said softly; trying to remind himself to behave.

Kagome smirked at the barely audible chant; though she had to admit…she did feel a little drunk...

She breathed in another deep breath; she just couldn't get over how good he smelled... she wondered, would he taste as good as he smelled?

Yusuke nearly missed a step as she softly speculated at his taste; not realizing she has spoken the thought aloud.

However, the warm wet tongue that gently slid along his throat was nearly his undoing.

His body jerked, whether in surprise or pleasure he wasn't sure; though he suspected both…

Before he could form a response, the woman seemed to purr in delight; then sharp, delicious pain coupled with pleasure shot through him as dull human teeth nipped right above his pulse.

His mind seemed to short circuit for a moment; his hand barely coming up in time to catch them against the hood of her car.

Kurama turned, eyes wide at the dull thud of his friend hitting the car. Dark eyes rose to look at him; they flickered with demonic rage...no...not rage, lust.

"Take her..." Yusuke growled, practically shoving the woman into his arms, "before I do something stupid..."

Kagome whimpered as she was shoved away from her safe pine scented shelter... the warmth returned, but instead of the now familiar pine scent... the subtle scent of roses and forest filled her head.

"Mmmm you smell good too," she murmured as she felt someone lay her back against a soft but firm surface.

Another chuckle, only this one softer and throatier then the other.

"Thank you," the velvety voice of the second demon purred, "you have a lovely scent as well..."

Kagome grinned and forced her eyes open; she blinked lazily at the demon, trying to get her eyes to focus.

He was silhouetted against the city lights; though she could just make out silvery hair and triangular ears atop his head. Her heart did a painful flip flop in her chest

"InuYasha?" She said softly, dread forming in her stomach. What the hell was he doing here? That meant Kikyo was nearby...

"I am not a pathetic dog!" The figure in front of her snarled, rearing back slightly in fury. "I am a kitsune, a fox…"

"Oh thank goodness..." she whispered, breathing a deep sigh of relief, "he's such an ass..."

Kurama blinked, taken aback by her words.

"Nice to know I'm not the only one she managed to stun speechless..." Yusuke muttered, than hearing the 911 operator ask him another question... he turned back to the phone conversation.

Kurama smiled and shook his head at the woman, "you certainly are an odd woman..." he said softly.

For a moment she was silent, her brow furrowed as her tired mind tried to decipher what he said...

"I'm not odd..." she huffed, "I don't care how cute his ears are... he's always mean and nasty to me, calling me names...I hope you guys beat the shit out of both them."

Kurama blinked at her in confusion for a moment; then laughed as he realized she had misunderstood him, though he was curious as to who 'both of them' were.

"You misunderstand me," he said softly, "I meant it is odd that you are not frightened of us."

"Why would I be?" She replied around a yawn and gave him a sweet sleepy smile, "you've been nice to me... well other than laughing when I fell down...that wasn't nice at all.."

"No, I suppose not," he agreed, with a grin, "but we are demons...we're not nice... and most are scared of us because of that."

Kurama felt his eyes widen as the woman laughed at his words,

"Feh..." she snorted, waving away his words, " demons don't bother me, I'm pretty sure I work for one," she paused for a moment, then shook her head, "you two are far better company then Kikyo and InuYasha….I'd pick you over them any day….

"Ambulance is on their way," Yusuke stated, coming back around the vehicle to stand next to Kurama.

Kagome blinked as the other demon came back into her line of sight again. Once more, he was obscured with shadow; but she could clearly see the silhouette of his lithe frame, the small amount of light seemed to make his skin glow silvery. His long black hair shifted as he moved, looking unruly and wild as it curled around the backs of his knees and seemed to blend into the shadows around him.

"What are your names?" she asked, her eyelids getting heavy.

"Here comes the ambulance.." Yusuke said, seeming to ignore her question, "we should leave..."

Kurama tucked a lock of inky black hair behind the girl's ear and sighed wistfully; the girl's breathing had already deepened in slumber.

"I know..." he agreed. He leaned close to the woman rubbing his cheek along hers in an affectionate kitsune farewell. Then he turned and moved around the vehicle, back towards the construction site and his forest.

Yusuke lingered a moment longer; the ambulance would be there any minute. He needed to leave… this was just another person to remove from the demon infested forest.

Yet… he hesitated.

He knew all the reasons why he should… all the reasons why becoming attached to a human was stupid. After all, look at how things had turned out with Keiko. She hadn't been able to handle all the danger associated with him.

He shook his head at his thoughts; turning to walk away. He barely knew this woman; he had only been in her presence for perhaps an hour… so it was impossible to have become attached to her. No matter how attractive she was; or how much his body lusted after her…or how much she didn't seem to mind that he was a demon...

Damn…

Despite his intentions; he found himself moving back to kneel before her. He wanted to give her his name.

Regardless of having only known her for a very short amount of time… he found that he was reluctant to leave her. He rather liked her quirky, fiery attitude. He liked the feel of her curled up in his arms. He liked her smell, the clean fresh scent of citrus with just a hint of snow.

If he was a normal human, with normal human problems…he wouldn't be second guessing himself about making a pass at an obviously attractive woman.

Sure, tonight she looked up at him with those big brown eyes like he was some kind of hero. Would she react the same way when she wasn't loopy with pain and blood-loss?

"Hell," he muttered, knowing what he was about to do was ten kinds of stupid; but, he wanted to pretend for just a minute…

He leaned forward, pressing a soft chaste kiss to her lips

"My name is Yusuke..." he whispered, knowing that she would probably never recall his name in her unconscious state; and later, when she woke, she would probably be horrified to know that she had be held by a demon.

A smile curled her soft, rose petal lips as she muttered something unintelligently under her breath.

Flashing lights wrenched his attention away from the young woman. He had stayed to long. Oh well...yet another sighting of one of the elusive demons of the Silver Forest.

The EMT slammed on the breaks as he saw the dark figure standing by an open car door. Caught in the glow of the ambulance headlights; the driver could clearly see the purple markings swirling across the man's chest and arms. His long wild, dark hair seemed to melt into the shadows behind him.

Reflective eyes glowed as the figure gave him a cocky smirk and leap up, inhumanly high, to disappear back into the shadows of the construction site.

"Hooooleeeeey...shiiiiiiiit..."

* * *

**Alrighty folks, that's the first chapter of what will probably be a five chapter fic. I've already got it typed up and finished; now it's just a matter of editing it and uploading it. So let me know what you think... much love. and as always REVIEW!**


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own IY or YYH

The Scent of Pine and Roses

Chapter 2

* * *

Kagome woke to the harsh scent of antiseptic and the soft beeping of a monitor. She glanced around the small simple room.

_A hospital. Why was she in a hospital?_

She sat up and winced at the sharp pain in her hand. What the hell?

Her hand was heavily bandaged and it throbbed slightly in pain; now that she thought about it, her knee throbbed too.

"Oh good you're awake!" A cheerful voice stated as a women in Winnie the Pooh scrubs walked in. "How are you feeling?"

"Sore…and confused.." Kagome replied, "What happened?"

"Its kinda a mystery really..." the nurse said, "Dispatch got an anonymous call saying that there was an injured woman at the construction site by the Silver Forest. The EMT said they found you in a car and that your hand and knee...which had been sliced open bad enough to need stitches, the wound in your hand even managed to nick an artery...but both had been wrapped with some sort of plant."

"A plant?" Kagome repeated, if possible even more confused. The nurse nodded.

"That's not the coolest part though," she continued, "the EMT said he saw a figure standing over you...one covered in purple marking and had long black hair made of shadows and reflective cat eyes..."

Kagome felt her eyes widen as the nurse described one of the classic descriptions of a demon said to live within the forest.

_My name is Yusuke…_

"How cool is that?" The nurse gushed.

Kagome smiled at the nurse and made small talk as the woman checked her vitals; her mind, however, wasn't on the conversation.

Instead it was focused on what she had thought was a blood-loss induced dream.

She gently touched her lips, where she could still feel the ghostly soft touch of her rescuer... she smiled at the memory.

"Yusuke..." she repeated softly, feeling a blush rise to her cheeks.

After the doctor visited her, Kagome was released; apparently she spent a day and a half in the hospital.

Once she was given her all clear; she called her boss to explain the situation. The stoic businessman informed her that his assistant, Rin, would be there shortly to pick her up.

Kagome swallowed hard at the implications. Why would Sesshomaru want to see her now? God above, she hoped this escapade hadn't cost her her job. If her sister's forgetfulness ended up causing her to lose this job…Kagome was gonna kill her…

A sleek black Mercedes pulled up in front of the hospital a short time later. With another hard swallow, Kagome straightened her dirty clothes, and set her shoulders. She could do this…

Climbing into the plush interior of the vehicle; Kagome was shocked to find her boss, sitting nonchalantly, waiting for her.

Kagome tried hard not to gap at the businessman. Dressed in pressed black slacks and a dark navy silk long sleeve shirt; there was no doubt there wasn't a more gorgeous man alive.

However, those cold calculating amber eyes prevented any sort of warm fuzzy feelings to form toward her boss. Not to mention the subtle press of his demonic energy, that on occasion made her want to grit her teeth in discomfort.

"Mr. Taisho," Kagome greeted, quickly recovering from her surprise, "I wasn't expecting you to pick me up, sir."

A slender pale brow rose at her words;

"As if this Sesshomaru cares what you were 'expecting', Higurashi," he replied coolly, handing her the newspaper he held in his lap, "However, I am wondering why a woman of your intelligence did something so…foolish."

Frowning, Kagome flicked open the paper. On the bottom portion of the front page was the story of the demon sighting; complete with a fuzzy snapshot of the EMT video footage showing her car, with the door open and a dark figure standing over her, clearly illuminated in the vehicle headlights.

Kagome scowled, "They put the story in the paper?!"

She groaned, "Son of a…" her hands immediately went to her temples in a vain attempt to sooth the oncoming migraine, "Kikyo is going to flip her lid," she sighed, "Then my mother is going to flip hers…. Urgh!"

"Why were you at the site so late?" Sesshomaru asked, or rather demanded.

"My sister forgot her paperwork there," Kagome replied, dejectedly, "so I swung by there when I got off work to get it."

"Why? I was under the impression you did not get along with your sister." Sesshomaru pointed out. Kagome sighed.

"I don't," she said, "unfortunately my comfort doesn't matter and I was put in charge of the financials and office work for my sister's business; I really didn't want to listen to them bitch and complain because somehow...it would be my fault."

"Hn," the silver haired businessman stated, "do I not pay you enough that you need to work for your sister?"

"Please," Kagome snorted, temporarily forgetting who she was speaking to, "I don't get paid. This was just kinda...shoved on me."

"Then why do you do it?" he replied coldly, "If you are not getting paid, and do not care for the individual you are helping… why do it?"

Kagome opened her mouth to respond; but didn't have a reply.

However, Sesshomaru hadn't really been looking for a response; "The fact is, I don't care what you do in your spare time, Higurashi.." He stated, his voice becoming hard, "Unless it begins to affect your job performance with me. Spending nearly two days hospitalized because you injured yourself preforming some idiotic task for your sister is officially interfering with your job and thus interfering with me."

Kagome swallowed hard and looked down at her lap, positive that she was about to be fired. "Yessir..."

"Have more respect for yourself," he admonished, "it is apparent that they need you for your expertise. Yet, what do they provide you with? You are not being paid… so what is their value to you? If it is 'nothing' then I suggest that you do away with the baggage before they drag you down with them."

Kagome blinked as he opened up the car door; she hadn't even realized they had stopped.

"We leave for D.C. at 7 a.m.," he stated, "Rin will pick you up at your residence. We will be gone for at least three days; so pack appropriately."

Kagome climbed out of the car; to stunned to do anything more than give her boss a deep bow and a 'yessir' before the door was closed in her face and she was left standing at the edge of the abandoned construction site, her silver Lancer a few yards away.

_What the hell just happened?_

She shook her head and got into her vehicle; she had expected to be fired… not… promoted. She had never gone on a business trip with Sesshomaru before. Normally Rin was the one who accompanied him and Kagome was left to manage the office.

She grinned; suddenly excited. She flicked on her dome light and searched for her keys…

They were exactly where she had left them a couple nights before. She paused as she was about to slide the key into the ignition.

Was there a light coming from the construction site?

She shook her head and turned the key; her Lancer started up with a soft purr.

Whatever was up there in the construction site… was none of her bloody business.

She shifted the car into first and started to turn; intending to turn around and leave the site.

She paused as two figures emerged from the growing darkness; for a moment her heart skipped a beat, almost hoping it would be her demons.

She was partially right….

It was a half-demon…and a miko.

InuYasha stepped in front of her vehicle; effectively blocking her way, unless she decided to run him over. Which didn't really sound like such a bad idea; except hitting the half-demon would seriously dent her baby. No one touched her car.

With an annoyed sigh, Kagome popped the clutch back into neutral and set the emergency brake.

The arrogant demon placed his hands on the hood of her car, amber eyes glaring at her through the windshield.

Kagome felt her eye twitch.

Noone. Touched. Her. Car…

With a suddenly sadistic and feral smile; Kagome released the E-brake and allowed the Lancer to jumper forward; surprising the cocky half-breed and smacking his knees with the front bumper.

Once again she jerked the brake, only this time she slide out of the car and stood; she smirked at the swearing her sister's boyfriend spewed at her from his near fetal position on the dirt.

"What do you want?" Kagome asked, "I have things to do tonight and little time to do it in.."

"There you are," Kikyo hissed, "Where the hell have you been? You didn't have any files ready for two days! Plus your phone was off! How the hell am I supposed to run my business if you're slacking off!"

"Oh my apologies," Kagome said sarcastically, "I'm sorry that I inconvenienced you with my trip to the ER. I'm fine by the way."

"Obviously it wasn't life or death," Kikyo replied snidely, "You're still here. So what was so bloody important that you couldn't do the task I assigned you? All you had to do was pick up a file. How hard is that?"

Kagome rubbed her temples, silently asking whatever deity that would hear her to give her patience; because if they gave her strength…. She was going to beat the ever-loving hell out of her sister.

"Kikyo…."Kagome bit her tongue and took a deep calming breath, and changed what she was about to say, "What the hell are you two doing out here anyway?"

"We were here setting barriers up so that the workers could return to their job without fear of those disgusting demons." Kikyo replied haughtily. "We are in the demon _exterminating_ business, after all, remember?"

Kagome smiled sweetly at her sister; her 'give a shit' meter suddenly over flowing. Taisho was right; why the _hell _was she still putting up with Kikyo and her BS?

"Yes, _you_ are in the exterminating business," she stated, drawing herself up, "I, on the other hand, am the office manager of Taisho Corp and Mr. Taisho's personal assistant. As such, I've got things to do. None of which involve standing here dealing with you. So take your little boyfriend and go _exterminate_ something; I've got work to do."

Kikyo narrowed her; "You ungrateful little brat," she growled. Kagome quirked an eyebrow and gave her a stony look. Beside her, still sitting on the ground cradling his knee; InuYasha cringed at the cold, hard look the younger girl gave her sister.

"Seriously?" Kagome said, her voice frigid, "Ungrateful? Pray-tell what exactly should I be grateful to you about? The fact that you use me as slave labor? Or maybe, I should be grateful that you dump all your paperwork on me? Or maybe…just maybe, I should be grateful to you for all of the wonderful money you've given me in exchange for my services?"

"My business keeps food on the table and our mother taken care of," Kikyo snapped, "It's what paid for that piece of shit car, and your shitty little apartment…"

Kagome laughed, cutting her sister off.

"You really are an arrogant fool aren't you?" she asked, shaking her head, "Kikyo, you haven't paid me a single cent since mom made me start helping you. Your 'money' didn't pay for my car or my apartment…. Taisho's did. I have never received ANY money from you. I may not drive around in some obnoxious supped up Hummer like you do; but my car is new and I get more than five miles to a gallon. My apartment may be small, but it's just right for me and it's in a nice neighborhood, right next to the park. I like it and it's mine… and you know what sister-dear…" She leaned back into the car and pulled out the blood smeared manila folder and flung it at the other woman, "There's your paper work. I quit."

"So you openly admit that you're his whore?" Kikyo snapped, dark eyes glittering.

Shaking her head Kagome glanced over her shoulder at her sister,

"Better his then yours," she replied, "Least he pays me for my work… plus, he's a hellva lot better looking than you are."

"WHAT?!"

Kagome ignored her sister's indignant squawk and climbed back into her car, she popped the brake and shifted it into first and slammed on the gas.

The Lancer spat dirt and gravel behind her as it took off; leaving the annoying miko and her stunned boyfriend coughing in the dust.

She slowed a bit as she drove down the narrow dirt road toward the highway; though the sedan loved to hug the road, it was such a light weight car that it would sometimes fishtail on loose gravel.

Though it wasn't the same model as those used for racing, the Lancer was a racecar at its heart; once Kagome hit the highway, she opened the engine up and let her fly.

It only took a fraction of her normal time to get home; fortunately there hadn't been any cops along her route to notice her little bout of recklessness.

She really didn't have time to be stopped and ticketed. She had to get packed.

Her excitement from earlier returned full force; she was going to D.C.! She had never been out of Japan and here she was going on her first business trip to the States!

* * *

Seven days later, Kagome finally arrived back home. The conference which should have only taken a couple days had ended up taking a bloody week to finish. All because one idiot wanted to try and prevent a merger.

Still, everything had come out in Sesshomaru's favor…surprise, surprise. She didn't think the man knew how to lose.

As much as she had enjoyed the trip and been kept busy beyond anything she had ever imagined; her mind had been preoccupied with another matter whenever there was a quiet moment.

The construction site and forest… and ultimately, her demons.

She wasn't sure when the two demonic rescuers had become 'her demons'; but now that they had, she found herself worrying over them.

Through the paperwork she had worked on for her sister; Kagome knew that the buyer- a man named Takynowa, intended to rip up the entire north side of the mountain and build some sort of resort.

He planned on buying up the entire mountain; but the other half was surprisingly owned by someone and she wasn't selling.

Takynowa had tried everything to make the old woman sell; he had even threatened her, if the rumors were true. However, not only had the woman laughed at his threats… her and a couple young men beat the tar out of the businessman and his goons and they were forcibly thrown off the property.

It was around that time that the attacks on the construction workers had really amped up. At first there had only been some sightings and some minor injuries caused by plants coming to life and attacking.

After the threat to the old woman and her temple; the attacks suddenly turned vicious.

The tally was now up to thirty having been hospitalized; and construction was at a stand-still.

She had spoken briefly to her mother while she was gone; or rather, her mother had called to yell at her for 'leaving her sister in such a bind' and yada yada…yawn.

Sesshomaru was right, it was time to lose the baggage and the stress dealing with that side of the family caused.

Her mother had given her one bit of good news; well it was good news as far as Kagome was concerned.

Kikyo hadn't been able to make any more headway into the forest. Even with the combined skills of InuYasha, Sango and Miroku; the four hadn't been able to exterminate the demons that lived in the forest.

For some reason the idea that her oh-so-perfect, arrogant sister had gotten her ass trounced by the two drool-worthy demons Kagome had met… it filled her with glee. Granted, she didn't really know that they were drool-worthy... as she hadn't actually gotten a good look at them. But she had felt the hard muscles and lean physique as she was being carried and surely the powers-that-be wouldn't have given a physique that fine, a deep rumbling voice that curled her toes and a scent that...delicious to a being without his face being able to match it? Surly the universe wasn't THAT cruel.

She knew her thoughts were just this shy of being shallow and petty; but still... a girl could hope right?

Despite how much joy Kagome took out of her sister's failure; she knew that eventually something had to give. Takynowa wasn't one to let go of something he wanted. He wouldn't ever just abandon his plans for that area.

"Why don't you buy it, Kagome?" Rin suggested the next morning as she met Kagome at the corner coffee store for the daily caffeine run. During the trip to the States, Rin and Kagome had become close; so when the younger of the two asked Kagome about her accident at the site, Kagome decided to tell her.

Once told, the two woman had discussed the situation several times. Eventually Kagome had admitted that she wished she knew of a way to preserve the forest her demons lived in and defended so viciously.

Kagome blinked, "Buy it?"

"That property the construction site is on," Rin explained, "Buy it and build that shrine on it that you were talking about."

Kagome laughed, almost dropping Mr. Taisho's cup in the process.

"You're kidding," she replied, "I'd love to build a shrine for my stepmother and brother Rin, but come on… I don't have the kind of money it would require me to outbid Takynowa."

The young woman snorted, flipping her dark coffee colored hair over her shoulder, "Of course YOU couldn't… but Mr. Taisho could."

Kagome stumbled again, this time nearly dropping the entire tray of drinks. Effortlessly, Rin snatched the tray from her klutzy hands and kept walking; as if her words hadn't just been the equivalent of a baseball bat to the back of Kagome's head.

"Mr. Taisho?" Kagome said, finally catching up to the other woman, "Are you insane? I can't ask that of him!"

"Why not?" she replied, "It's a perk of working for him."

"Huh?"

Rin rolled her eyes, "Did you even READ the employee book?"

"Uh…."

"Article 197: page 306 states that any employee who remains employed with Taisho Corp for at least 30 years can have a house built where ever they want, paid for in full." Rin stated confidently.

"Rin…"Kagome said, pointing out the obvious, "I've only been here three years! I'm pretty certain that the situation would be resolved by then!"

"Ugh," Rin giving her a 'god you're slow' look, "The Housing fund is taken out of your check, you dolt. Hardly anyone notices the money being taken out of their checks automatically; that money is then held in the individual's name until their retirement, where it is then given to them as their '30 year' gift. So, in your case…use that money to pay 'rent'. Then for your '30 year' gift; you can get the deed to the house instead of just money!"

Kagome blinked at the other girl… that idea was actually…brilliant. But would it work?

Kagome blushed and ducked her head; "I can't ask that of him, Rin," she said, "I wouldn't even know where to start…"

By that point they had arrived in their office. They handed out everyone's coffee; then proceeded back to deliver Mr. Taisho his coffee along with the files that needed to be looked at for the day.

Rin practically skipped into the office, "Good morning!" she sang. Golden eyes flicked towards her;

"You are unusually perky this morning, Rin," he stated, than those amber eyes turned to Kagome, "Switch her to Decaf."

"Of course sir," Kagome said with a smirk toward the pouting girl, "Your paperwork for the morning."

"Papa," Rin said softly, freezing Kagome in place, "Kagome has something to ask you!"

Then the little brat snatched up another stack of files and bolted to the door; effectively escaping and leaving Kagome there.

Sesshomaru blinked at her, "Well?" he asked, "This Sesshomaru doesn't have all day…"

Kagome blinked, trying to not only get over Rin's trickery, but also the fact that Rin called Sesshomaru 'papa'. W.T.H.?

"Well…I…." she stammered, god above she was going to strangle Rin for this!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own IY or YYH

The Scent of Pine and Roses

Chapter 3

* * *

Yusuke scowled as he walked down the side walk, hands behind his head in one of his custom 'I don't give a shit' poses. It had been six months since he and the other two demonic members of his team had been forced into the Makai on some ridiculous errand for Koenma.

He really hadn't wanted to go; that fucktard that had attempted to force Genkai to sell her land was still lurking about. Yea, he knew Genkai could have handled the situation herself; but he was still glad that Kuwabara and he happened to visit her that day.

After that, Yusuke had taken it upon himself to cause as much trouble as possible for the greedy human who had threatened what the young demon-lord perceived as his.

It hadn't taken much to get Kurama and even Hiei on board; after all, causing trouble was in those two's DNA.

Even when Takynowa had decided to play dirty and hire a demon exterminator; they had been able to hold the mountain, much to the Miko's annoyance.

That same Miko who so resembled the cute little human Kurama and he had stumbled on to that one night.

Though the two resembled one another; they couldn't be more different. Yusuke found that he actually kind of…missed the little human. How stupid was that? He had only 'known' her for maybe an hour… how could he possibly miss her?

Then again, she had fit so well against him and had such a quirky attitude and fiery temper to boot.

It was about two weeks after meeting her, that construction STOPPED completely and the miko had been called off.

Or more appropriately; fired. Yusuke had taken an unhealthy amount of glee in watching the annoying woman's face turn purple with rage.

Yusuke had never seen a woman become so furious; and he thought Kieko had thrown some temper tantrums. He almost felt sorry for the poor dog-eared bastard that had to put up with her.

Almost.

It was about that time Koenma had called them for a mission. Now, six months later… it seemed that construction hadn't stopped… it had only been delayed.

"Stop scowling, dimwit," Genkai snapped, "You're scaring the norms."

Yusuke blinked down at his teacher and smirked; lowering his arms to shove his hands in his pockets.

"Why are we going over there again?" he asked. Genkai cast him a slightly annoyed sidelong glance.

"No one asked you to come along, idiot," she replied, "I am going over there to see who my new neighbor is."

"You already know…"He grumbled, then paused at her sly smirk. "It's that Takynowa guy isn't it?"

"No… someone bought him out," she replied, a touch of sadistic glee entering _her_ voice,

"What? No kidding," Yusuke grinned, suddenly interested in meeting these new 'neighbors', "Any idea who it is?"

They paused in front of a set of newly cemented steps; a sign next to the entrance stated "Welcome to the Sunset Shrine" in delicately carved letters.

The hike up the steps wasn't nearly as strenuous as Genkai's temple; still… was there some unwritten rule that all shrines and temples had to have long-ass stairs?

As they walked; Yusuke took note of the barren land that had once been covered in forest. What a waste… though it did appear that someone was at least attempting to replant things.

At the top of the stairs; Yusuke felt an uncomfortable flip flop at the sight of so much barren space. That Takynowa asshole had managed to clear more of the forest then they had realized.

Yet, amazingly; the large sacred tree Kurama had worried over so much for the last six months hadn't been felled. Instead, the ancient Tree of Ages stood proud and tall in the middle of the clearing; already a small fence separated it from the cobblestones that covered the shrines main area.

A decent sized house sat a few meters away from the tree; not nearly as impressive as Genkai's… but then again this was a shrine, not a temple.

"Good afternoon!" a warm, sweet voice said as a slightly older woman in her late 40's came out of one of the storage houses. "We're not quite ready for visitor's yet," she said, "Was there something I could help you with?"

"No, not at all dear," Genkai said with a smile, "I just wanted to come see who my new neighbor was. I am Genkai…"

"Master Genkai?" the woman asked, "The one who has the temple on the other side of the mountain?"

Genkai nodded.

"Then this is a pleasure," the woman said, "My name is Kun-Loon Higurashi."

Yusuke left the two women to chat over tea as he casually wondered around the shrine. He had to admit, that it looked good. Simple yet elegant.

As he came around the corner of the house; he noticed a young woman kneeling on the ground, planting a rose bush.

Yusuke smirked as he ghosted up behind her; admiring the nice view he had of her back-side.

Kagome gave the soil around the new rose bush a soft pat then sat back and wiped the sweat from her face; though it wasn't overly hot, she was in direct sunlight.

Suddenly the distinct scent of pine wafted past her nose and made her heart do a small little flip flop; she had bought the small tree from the nursery on impulse the same day she bought the roses…. The scent's reminded her so much of her demons.

Yet, while the roses always reminded her of the silver haired demon with the velvety voice; the pine was the only one that made her heart skip. What was it about that damn demon that had gotten to her so much?

It didn't help matters that once she had managed to convince Sesshomaru to give in to Rin's suggestion; she hadn't been able to sense the three demons a single time. She had hoped that eventually they would return and she kept her fingers crossed that they hadn't been chased away…or worse…purified.

Logically she knew that if they had been purified, Kikyo wouldn't have been so bloody pissed about being taken off a case; but the more time that passed and she didn't even sense a flicker of their energy… the more she feared the worst.

Again the scent of pine drifted towards her with the under tone of ozone… a scent she recognized that most demons of a certain power level possessed.

It was then she felt eyes on her; or rather… they had been on her for a while but she had just now noticed.

Whirling, she gripped the small metal hand shovel tightly for a moment.

"Whoa… easy," a young man in his twenties said, arms held out in a placating manner. "I didn't mean to startle you…"

His short dark hair was slicked back from a boyishly handsome face as dark chocolate colored eyes watched her warily. He wore pale blue jeans that looked as if he had been poured into them, a baggy white shirt and a slightly darker blue jean jacket with the sleeves rolled up.

"Can I help you with something?" she asked cautiously, standing and turning to face him completely.

"Uh..no… I'm just wondering around until my teacher is done socializing…" he replied with a grin. "Then again…"

Kagome narrowed her eyes at the young man; there was something about him that was familiar…

"Do I know you?" she asked, interrupting whatever perverted comment he was about to utter..

Yusuke swallowed hard. _What a loaded question_, he thought. He hadn't expected the woman he was ogling to be the little spit-fire from the construction site; but now that he was face to face with her.. he had no idea what to say.

It wasn't like he could tell this woman 'yea we've met, I know I don't look it now, and it was dark…but I'm the demon who carried you to your car after you hurt yourself'. Yea, that would go over like a ton of bricks.

But, daaaaayum, if he had thought she was cute that night; she was hot as hell in day light.

Unfortunately she wasn't wearing another skirt; but the jeans she wore accented all of her key features. A tight black tank top clung to her torso and chest; emphasizing her cleavage. The entire look was enough to rob Yusuke of any coherent thought and make him drool.

"Uh…no…" he muttered, coming to his senses when he saw her eyes narrow to slits, "I don't think we have…"

Kagome studied the man, she had seen him before, dammit; but where?

Another stiff breeze brought the scent of pine and ozone to her nose; her eyes widened… the scent was coming from HIM.

"Yusuke?" she whispered without thought, her voice so soft that a normal human wouldn't have caught the softly spoken word.

Instantly she regretted her loose tongue; she didn't know why she word-vomited his name… this guy didn't really even look like her demon. Not that Kagome really knew what her demon looked like…

Yusuke felt his own eyes widen in disbelief as she spoke his name.

She…remembered?

"Holy shit," he muttered, "You recognize me?"

Kagome's eyes widened at his words; then before she really thought about what she was doing… she rushed him.

Yusuke liked to believe that he was prepared for just about anything… yet….on this one particular day, Yusuke Urameshi, descendant of the demon Raizen and one of the most powerful demons within the Makai, was caught off guard and tackled by a petite human woman who probably didn't even weight a buck ten soaking wet.

"Oh my god it is you!" she said softly, nearly crushing his ribs in a hug. Yusuke bit back a groan, his pride already smarting because he let the small woman more or less tackle him to the ground; he refused to let his pained groan slip past his lips.

A man had to keep his pride; plus… he rather liked the feel of her on top of him.

"Well, hello to you too, beautiful," he said with a soft laugh.

Kagome glanced up as he spoke; just in time to see the adorable crooked smile on his face. Kagome was fairly certain her heart stopped at the sight, while the man had a sort of rugged handsomeness to him; that crooked smile made him look innocent and wicked all at the same time….

Heaven forbid… the man was fine.

Suddenly realizing that not only was she staring at him with an odd star-struck look on her face, but she had also more or less glomped some complete stranger and was now hugging him to death, quickly let go; blushing furiously.

Yusuke laughed as the woman blushed a deep crimson and scrambled off him,

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry," she said, "I normally don't do that….I…."

"Chill babe," Yusuke said, with a smirk, "Did you hear me complaining? I could get rather fond of such a greeting…."

If possible, her face seemed to grow even darker red.

He grinned at her, "I really didn't think you'd remember me."

She smiled at him, "You think I'd forget the demon who was nice enough to carry me back to my car and call me an ambulance?"

"Well, you were a bit loopy," Yusuke reminded her, "I didn't think you'd remember anything really. Most humans don't. Plus, I'm in my human form now, even other demons don't recognize me like this.

Kagome giggled, "I'd recognize your energy and scent anywhere."

He paused, "My scent?"

Embarrassed, Kagome glanced at the ground, "Yea…it's…uh… rather unique…"

"Uh huh," Yusuke muttered, giving her a sly grin, "If I remember right, you enjoyed my scent quite a bit…"

Yep…it was possible for her to blush harder.

"Yea…" she muttered, it was sooo time to change the direction of the conversation. She gave him a light smack on the shoulder, "Where have you guys been anyway? I was worried that Kikyo had actually managed to somehow chase you off."

Yusuke laughed as they made their way back around the house, "Naw, she wishes," he replied, "We just had some other business to take care of. That's all."

As they came around the corner, Yusuke spied two familiar figures walking up the pathway. He grinned, it appeared grandma wasn't the only nosy one curious about the new owners.

"Sup Kurama, Hiei," Yusuke called wrapping a casual arm around the young woman's shoulders. He was rather pleased when she didn't shrug off his arm.

"Yusuke," the red head said, "I hadn't been expecting to see you here."

"Eh, grandma wanted to be nosy," he explained, "What brings you two out this way?"

"Much the same reason I'm afraid," Kurama smirked, "Curiosity."

His eyes shifted to the young woman at his side, "And who is your friend?"

"This is…uh.." Yusuke stopped, suddenly realizing that he didn't even know the woman's name.

"You've forgotten already, Detective?" Hiei said snidely, "Pathetic even for you."

Kagome laughed, "No, he's not forgotten it," she replied, "I just haven't told it to him yet."

At the surprised looks, Kagome gave them both a small bow, "My name is Kagome Higurashi, welcome to my family's shrine."

"Kagome…" the red head repeated, rolling the name around on his tongue, "A lovely name for a lovely woman," he took her hand and placed a kiss on it, "I'm Suicchi Minamino; though my friends call me Kurama. My companion goes by Hiei."

Kagome studied the two demons before her; the red-head was at least attempting to appear human. The shorter of the three wasn't even attempting; his dark energy crackled along her own.

She wasn't the expert that her sister was; but she could easily sense the familiar energy of the silver-haired demon through the human façade.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both, or rather," she glanced at Kurama, "It's a pleasure to meet you again…officially this time."

Kurama blinked, than smiled.

"How interesting," he replied, "You know then that..."

"You are demons," she said, watching as the dark demon jerked in surprise, "yes, I know. I don't have near the training that my sister does; but I have enough. I'm glad to see you all are alright; I had grown worried when I didn't sense your presence on the mountain anymore."

"Intriguing…" Kurama purred, "How did you manage to get this property away from Takynowa?"

Kagome smiled, "I didn't," she replied, "My boss did."

"And who is this boss of yours?" Hiei growled.

"Sesshomaru Taisho," she said grinning as all three demons froze at her words. "In any case, Takynowa didn't dare say no to Sesshomaru when he stated that he wanted the property… that sleaze-ball even had to take a significant price cut. Guess next time a young woman approaches him with a business deal he'll be a little more professional."

Kurama laughed softly, "Do I even want to know what he said that upset the ever cold, Sesshomaru?"

Kagome shook her head, "He made a comment towards myself and the other assistant, Rin," she said, giving them a feral grin, "That fool had better leave Japan, after what he said Sesshy is done with him. There's a reason he's known as the 'Killing Perfection'."

"Daughter?" Kurama and Yusuke asked simultaneously, "He has a daughter?"

Kagome glanced at the ruby-eyed demon beside her, "In stereo….creepy."

A small smirk curled Hiei's lips, "Hn," he agreed.

"Oh there you are Kagome!" her mother called, "And I see you've already met Yusuke."

"Yes, actually I had already met both Yusuke and Kurama before," She said with a grin, "They were the two kind gentlemen that helped me to my car and called the ambulance for me that night."

"Oh?" Ms. Higurashi, smiled down at them, "Well in that case, let me thank you for assisting my daughter. I'm so glad she ran into such kind helpful young men; imagine a young lady going tramping around an abandoned construction site like that! She's lucky she didn't get really hurt! The nerve of that ungrateful spoiled brat! I'm so glad you told that sister of yours off; though I still think you should let me go have a word with her…"

Kagome laughed, "Now, now Momma, it wouldn't do any good and you know it," she said, lightly patting her stepmother on the shoulder; then seeing the puzzled looks of the men around her,

"Mom here was my dad's second wife. So Souta and I are only half siblings. Mine and Kikyo's mother was his first wife. He divorced her when we were about five. He remarried Kun Loon a few years later and had Souta.."

"The chic with the dog is your sister?" Yusuke asked. Kagome nodded sadly;

"Please don't judge me by her…."she said, "I'm nothing like her."

"Hn, if your mother is anything like that human," Hiei muttered.

"She is…" Kagome interrupted, the fire demon snorted in contempt,

"Then I can't blame the man for leaving his mate and young. "

Kagome smiled, "Yea, they aren't the easiest people to live with."

"She won't be coming here….will she?" Yusuke asked. Kagome shook her head.

"No." she replied, "I haven't even told them I moved and I don't plan to. I intend this shrine to be neutral ground; a place where both human and demon can come to be safe. I won't stand by and allow my sister and that idiot InuYasha to come barging in here and disrupting the peace I've been working so hard to achieve."

"A noble intention," Genkai said, "My temple is much the same; though I do have these idiots hanging around to keep everyone in line…or is it to bring trouble to my door?"

"Hey," Yusuke muttered, "You were neck deep before we happened along. Not to mention, you trained me. So any trouble I get into is then your fault."

"Oh yea, because that's sound reasoning," Kagome muttered, snickering .

Yusuke stuck his tongue out at the woman.

"Ooooh, mature," she shot back with a flirtatious smirk.

"Well," Ms. Higurashi said, "It's getting late, would you all like to stay for dinner? There's plenty for everyone."

"Might as well," Genkai replied with a smile, "I don't feel like cooking and Yukina isn't home."

"Plus whatever is cooking smells delicious," Yusuke stated.

"Yukina?" Ms. Higurashi asked as they walked back towards the house.

"Just another one of my kids," Genkai replied, "She stays with me and helps me tend the temple."

Kurama followed Genkai into the house while Hiei disappeared in a blur of black; returning to the comfort and solitude of the forest, no doubt.

Kagome blinked, "Goodness," she murmured, making a mental note to save a plate of food for him, just on the off chance he returned later, "he certainly is a fast one…"

"Yea," Yusuke agreed, following Kagome as she went to pick up her gardening tools. "He'll appear out of nowhere too, so don't be surprised. I can't tell you how many times he's done that in the past. Just POOF and there he is. Drives me crazy."

Kagome laughed as she picked her tools and put everything into her wheelbarrow; making another mental note of what she needed to do the following day.

When they were done, they joined the rest of Kagome's family and guests in the kitchen. Dinner was a joyous affair with much laughter and talking. When it came time for Genkai to be returning to her temple; her and Kun-Loon had become fast friends and made arrangements to meet a least once a month for dinner.

As the elderly psychic climbed into her taxi; Kagome stood at the base of her shrine's steps, her two demons standing before her in their human forms.

"Don't dawdle to long, dimwit," Genkai muttered as she shut the cab door and it drove off.

"Aren't you going with her?" Kagome asked. Yusuke grinned,

"Yea," he replied, "We'll probably get there before her though, so it's no rush. It's faster our way, besides, it's not like I really have a curfew. I just like to patrol the area and make sure everything is... you know... quiet.""

Kagome grinned as he gave her a cocky wink. Kurama rolled his eyes,

In the distance, Kagome could feel a sudden surge of demonic power; instantly she recognized it as Hiei's. She glanced at her two companions; both of whom were gazing up at the mountain.

Yusuke looked over and smirked at his red headed friend, "Looks like shorty's calling you, Red," he stated. "You know how he gets if you keep him waiting…"

Emerald green eyes flashed gold for a moment as a seductive smile curled Kurama's lips.

"Indeed…" he looked back at Kagome, his features softening slightly, "It was good to see you again Kagome."

"It was good to see you again too, Kurama," she said, giving the red-head a hug; only to have the kitsune rub his cheek against hers, nuzzling her affectionately. He turned and gave Yusuke a similar treatment before turning and leaping into the forest; his human form smoothly flowing into that of the silver kitsune.

Kagome gently touched her cheek were the demon had nuzzled her, still feeling the heat of his touch; a blush stole across her face, she had a feeling that that wasn't a normal farewell.

"It's the kitsune's way of greeting someone they are attracted to and fond of," Yusuke explained, seeing the puzzled look on the girls face.

"Attracted to?" she repeated, her blush getting darker, "I thought… I mean… didn't he just…"

"Why did he do that when he's going off to meet with Hiei?" Yusuke translated. Kagome nodded, mutely.

"Kitsune's, and demons in general, are a little more open with their affections," he said, "The rules aren't as strict as humans. Demons generally don't care how many partners you have or what gender they are… most aren't possessive of their...uh…lovers. I say 'most' because some are possessive as a mofo; take Hiei… he knows that it is in a Kitsune's nature to be…polygamous. So there are certain people he doesn't mind being around Red; but others… " he sliced his finder across his throat.

"Oh my," Kagome muttered, "And I guess it's safe to assume you are one of these… others?"

"Yea…" Yusuke said, looking at the young woman he hadn't been able to get out of his head for the last few months, "Is that going to be a problem?"

Kagome blinked, taking in the demons suddenly tense stance and guarded eyes.

"A problem?" she asked, "Good grief, why would it be a problem? They are your…" she struggled for the word; what had InuYasha called it, "…pack? Is that the right word? What you do isn't any of my concern… so why would I have a problem with it?"

"Because…" Yusuke said, suddenly pulling her flush against him and capturing her lips with his own. Then, just a quickly; he released her and stepped back.

Kagome blinked, dazed. "Oh…" she whispered, a blush crawling down her neck as the implications suddenly set in.

"Kagome?" he asked after a moment; Kagome blinked in confusion, her brain still not functioning properly after the unexpected kiss.

"Huh?"

"Will it be a problem?" Yusuke repeated, he hoped it wouldn't; he hoped that he hadn't just ruined any chance he had with this woman. He wanted to curse Kurama for his little bout of possessive claiming; though, he would have had to tell Kagome about it sooner or later.

"N-no…" she finally said, catching him by surprise, "I still don't see why it would be a problem… as long as I'm not going to be unintentionally stepping on any demon toes….am I?"

Yusuke smiled, stepping closer to the woman once again; deliberately invading her personal space.

"No…" he said softly, "It's just the three of us... we own this mountain," he inhaled her citrusy scent, now mixed with the subtle scent of roses, "We tend to be a little….possessive of what is ours."

"What's yours?" she repeated, blushing all the way to her shoes. "I thought you said demons weren't possessive?"

"I said 'most'. Kurama and I have lived to long in the human world and Hiei just doesn't like sharing." he said, gently running his finger- tips down her arm, "We share within our…'pack' as you called it. Is that something you could live with Kagome?"

She stared at her shoes, stunned. This was so NOT how she expected her evening to go. She was ecstatic that she had found her two demons… but to share them? Not just them, but their smaller, grumpier companion as well?

Granted Hiei was just as attractive as Yusuke and Kurama. It was a lot to swallow for a woman who had barely dated; now suddenly she was essentially being offered a choice of three grade-A, prime, demon males?

The lush in her screamed 'YES', while the practical part of her just laughed hysterically; she hadn't had much luck with just one man, how the hell was she supposed to deal with three?

Yusuke didn't speak as Kagome starred at her shoes; he couldn't believe he had actually dropped all of that on her. He had just met her…again… what the hell was he thinking? He cursed himself six ways 'til Sunday.

"Your other companion…"Kagome said, glancing up at him, "Hiei…"

"What about him?" Yusuke asked, tensing. He knew the smaller demon disliked humans as a general rule; however, there were a select few who he was secretly fond of.

Still, he had no idea if Hiei would approach Kagome; he already knew of his and the kitsune's interest in the woman, and upon meeting her he hadn't threatened her… in Hiei speak that was close enough to approval.

"Is he as…uh…possessive of you as he is of his fox? What does he think of this arrangement?" she asked, "You, and I'm assuming Kurama, seem to agree on inviting me to this…relationship of yours. What of your third?"

"I doubt he will care," Yusuke replied, shrugging.

"You doubt?" she asked, stepping away from him. Yusuke's heart sank.

"He didn't threaten you," he replied, "For Hiei, that's as good as approval."

Kagome pursed her lips; she was rapidly becoming fond of the idea of having the three demons as her own. However, as much as she was attracted to Yusuke and Kurama… she refused to do something that would possibly upset their third member.

"That's not good enough for me, Yusuke," she said, "I would need to hear it from him, that he's ok with it. I refuse to disrupt the relationship between you three."

Yusuke sighed, fully expecting her refusal… except,...wait... it wasn't really a refusal, was it?

"Wait," he called, catching her hand as she turned to leave, "you mean, you just need his 'OK'?"

Kagome smiled down at him, the three steps she had managed to climb before he stopped her making her a couple inches taller than the demon.

"What I mean is, I could get use to the idea," she said softly, "I really like both you and Kurama; but I don't want to cause strife within your relationship because Hiei doesn't agree. So, if Hiei comes and tells me he's 'OK' with it, then I'm 'OK' with it."

Yusuke smirked, pulling the startled woman down into a heated kiss. He pulled away a moment later and rubbed his cheek against hers opposite the side Kurama had.

"Keep your window open," he whispered, then before she could respond; he was gone.

"Wow," Kagome muttered, fanning herself, "What the hell am I getting myself into?"

* * *

Yusuke landed silently in front of their cabin nestled discretely on the side of the mountain almost half way between the temple and shrine. Inaccessible from the road or by anything other than a very strenuous hike; it was as safe and secure as they could hope for in the human world.

He moved silently across the deck and slid open the glass door. Inside the house was quiet; yet he could sense the contented energy of his two companions in the bedroom.

He didn't bother knocking as he entered the darkened room.

"Well?" Kurama asked, shifting slightly on the bed. Moonlight spilled through the window making his hair glow a silvery-red.

"She said no…" Yusuke stated, kicking off his shoes and flopping onto the enormous bed next to his companions.

"I'm sorry, Yusuke…" Kurama said, sitting up to wrap alabaster arms around his waist.

"She needs Hiei's approval before she'll agree," Yusuke continued, leaning back into the fox's embrace.

"Hn? What do I have to do with it?" Hiei demanded.

Yusuke glanced behind him to see the startled face of his imko; the moonlight, which seemed to make Kurama glow, seemed to sink into Hiei and make him part of the shadows.

"She won't risk upsetting our relationship," Yusuke stated, "So she won't agree unless Hiei does."

Kurama blinked, "How…considerate," he said, rather surprised the woman had been thoughtful enough to consider Hiei's feelings in the matter. "But she did agree?"

Yusuke nodded, "Only as long as Hiei 'Ok's it."

Hiei sighed as emerald and chocolate orbs fell on him; "If it will make you happy," he replied, not really keen on letting a human….a miko…around his two lovers much less asking her to join them.

Yusuke shook his head, "She has to hear it from you."

Again Hiei sighed, aggravated; he really didn't want to get out of bed right this moment.

"Fine," he growled, "I'll go visit the miko, but not tonight… tonight I have other plans…"


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own IY or YYH

The Scent of Pine and Roses

Chapter 4

* * *

It was five days before Hiei graced Kagome with his presence; she had more or less assumed that the little demon had refused Yusuke's request. She was disappointed to say the least; but she hoped that they would at least still come visit her.

She had just come out of her bathroom, dressed only in a towel when he spoke.

"Why did you ask to see me, miko?" he demanded, crouched on her window-seal like some dark gargoyle.

Kagome jumped, a small shriek slipping from her lips; she hadn't even felt him near her home. Still didn't feel his energy. He was just…there.

"Bloody hell, Hiei," she swore, clamping a hand over her chest while the other held the towel together, "Could you make some damn noise? You almost scared me to death!"

He gave her a sadistic smirk; his dark eyes seemed to be back-lit by flame and glowed an eerie red in the dark.

She swallowed hard; suddenly realizing that she was only wearing a skimpy towel and, in all reality, she knew very little about this demon.

"What are you doing here, Hiei?" she asked, nervously.

"The idiot said you wanted to speak to me," he replied.

"He didn't ask you?" she asked, her heart thundering in her breast. Another sinister smirk; was it possible for a man to look so evil….and yet so good at the same time?

"He said you wouldn't accept his offer without speaking with me first," Hiei stated, moving from the window and into her bedroom.

"Ok…then you know why I wanted to talk to you…" she replied, eyeing him cautiously.

"You want to know if I agree with his offer," he stated, slowly stalking around the woman. He could smell her unease, and hear the thundering of her heart… yet, she wasn't truly frightened of him, just uneasy. Interesting.

"Yes," she replied, watching him from the corner of her eye, though she made no move to turn when he moved behind her. Trusting Fool…

"You would accept all of us?" Hiei asked; Kagome started as she heard the soft hiss of metal leaving a sheath. Cold steel touched her neck,

"Even me?" he asked softly, "Both Kurama and Yusuke are easy to accept. They still retain aspects of their humanity…"

He stepped closer and Kagome could feel his body heat down her entire length; he was barely taller than her, yet she could still fell the power in his slight frame.

"I do not…" his breath caressed her ear making her shudder.

Hiei could feel her energy flexing against his; instinctively he knew that despite the morals this woman claimed, should she perceive him as a threat, he was in for one hell of a burn. Instead of making him cautious; the scent of danger that clung to her skin... intrigued him.

It drew him, like a moth to flame.

Yusuke and the fox were right, the woman did smell divine; the odd combination of citrus, a hint of snow…and power were a heady mix for a demon who covenanted power.

He moved around so he could face the woman; his blade still resting lightly against her tan throat and waited for her to answer.

The blade gleamed silver in the faint moonlight coming through the window; this demon seemed to absorb the darkness around him. Even knowing he was directly in front of her, waiting for an answer, it was still hard to focus on him.

Kagome took a deep breath and slowed her thundering pulse. It was obvious that this demon was not as easy going and affectionate as his two companions; she had already guessed that aspect of his personality when he refused dinner the week before.

She looked down at the glistening blade pressed oh-so-gently against her throat then back up at the demon in front of her. Taking a gamble that he wouldn't actually kill her; Kagome raised her hand and placed two fingers on the blade. Gently she moved the steel away from such a vital area; elated that Hiei actually allowed her to do so.

"Why wouldn't I accept you too?" she asked, "I already accepted Yusuke and Kurama, and my boss is Sesshomaru Taisho; so obviously your demon heritage doesn't bother me."

Hiei snorted, sheathing his katana; it was clear the woman had figured out he wasn't willing to risk upsetting Yusuke by spilling her blood.

"And what does the he think of this?" Hiei asked, crossing his arms over his chest. He had forgotten the woman had ties with the ancient demon lord. Technically speaking, the old dog had first claim on the priestess; Inu's were notoriously territorial.

"He was a little surprised," she stated, "Though not overly, he had been able to smell both Yusuke and Kurama on me when I got out of the hospital the first time. So he suspected that eventually they would return for me. As long as it doesn't interfere with my duties with him; he doesn't care."

Actually Sesshomaru had far more to say on the topic; going so far as to tell her a bit about the demons she was becoming involved with.

Yusuke… a human who died twice and on the second death, returned as a demon, a descendant of the powerful Demon King Reizen. When he was human, he had been a Spirit Detective for Reikei and the scourge of demon-kind.

Kurama… an ancient kitsune known as Yoko Kurama; he was a thief and bandit, renown throughout the three worlds for his cunning and ruthlessness. Escaping death; the kitsune had somehow managed to slip onto the human world, and merge with a human woman's unborn child. He was reborn as a human with the soul of a demon.

And finally, Hiei… a mercenary, murderer and master of the Jagan; though he was a master of pyromancy, Hiei was actually born of two conflicting elements-fire and ice. Because of this, he was labeled as a Forbidden Child and generally despised.

Sesshomaru had told her that, should she choose to continue her relationship with the demons; then she would become a target for anyone who ever had a score to settle with them. However, they were three of the most powerful demons in the Makai; so she had chosen her mates well. Their children, should she choose to have any, would be strong, even for half-demons.

Kagome hadn't really known what to say to him after that; she hadn't been thinking of starting a family or anything. At least not quite yet.

"The questions really isn't if I can accept you," Kagome continued, "the question is… will YOU accept me?"

"Hn…"

"I understand that you don't particularly care for humans, especially one that is a miko in training," she went on, walking over to grab her robe and slip it on. Granted the thin silk didn't cover much more than the towel; but it made her feel a little more confident. "But, I am hoping we can at least be friends, Hiei."

"I don't have 'friends'," the smaller demon stated.

"Well, you're still welcome here," She stated, "Even if we don't ever progress further then this conversation… you three will always be welcome here."

"Hn."

Then, within one blink and the next; he was gone.

Kagome went to the window breathing in the gentle scent of roses from below. The faint scent of wood smoke lingered in the air; teasing her with memories of cold winter nights and roaring fires, of roasting marshmallows and Christmas morning.

"Well," she muttered to herself, "That certainly went far better than I thought it would."

Without another word, she changed into her night clothes and went to bed. Perched on top of her roof, directly above her window; Hiei glared down at the fragrant rose bush underneath and shook his head.

The miko was intriguing; he would give his lovers that… yet he wasn't certain she deserved the right to share his Fox and the Mazoku. After all, her sister was the bitch who spent nearly six weeks trying to kill them; who was to say that this woman was so different?

No, she would have to earn the right to join them. He had worked too hard to carve out a little chunk of happiness for them; they all had… he wouldn't chance that happiness just for someone who could just be a passing fancy.

* * *

It was another week before Yusuke and Kurama were able to visit her again. Once again, they found her kneeling in the middle of her gardens; elbow deep in soil.

She wore another tank top; a deep emerald green that had reminded her a little of Kurama's eyes. Only this time, instead of jeans, she wore short black running shorts.

Yusuke tilted his head slightly, taking in the view.

"Daaaaayum," he breathed, causing the girl to jump slightly at his voice, "I swear the view here gets better and better each time I see it."

Kagome whirled around, scowling at the dark haired demon.

"Brat!" she snapped, standing up and attempting to wipe the dirt from her hands, "I'm going to make all three of you wear a blasted bell so you can't sneak up on me like that! Make some bloody noise."

Yusuke grinned at the rebuke that lacked any heat as the priestess came over to give him a hug. He breathed in her scent, oranges and snow… and now the scent of earth and green things, and sighed.

He had actually missed the tiny woman; though they barely knew each other. He thought about her nearly as often as he thought about Hiei and Kurama.

"It's good to see you again, Kagome," Kurama said, as she stepped away from Yusuke to give the red-head a hug as well.

"It's so good to see you guys as well," she said, giving them a dazzling smile. "I've missed you guys."

"And we have missed you," Kurama said, a beautiful blue rose appearing in his hand; he handed the rare blossom to the miko.

"Oh…Kurama," she said softly, taking the fragile flower, "It's beautiful. Thank you so much."

Yusuke snorted, slightly jealous of his charming companion and annoyed at himself; he hadn't thought to bring Kagome a gift.

Yusuke stuck his tongue out at his friend; unseen by Kagome. Kurama smirked and shook his head at Yusuke's childish antics.

"Do you two want to come in for some lunch?" she asked, "I believe mom made Oden…and Oh. My. God. It's good. Mom makes the best Oden…EVER!"

"Well with an endorsement like that," Yusuke laughed, "How could we possibly say no?"

Kun-Loon was thrilled to see the two handsome young men that had 'saved' her daughter. Both watched Kagome as if she was the only person in the room. Personally, she wouldn't have wanted to be the center of attention between two men; she had had that happen to her enough times in her younger years to want to avoid the jealously that normally accompanied it.

However, Kun-Loon didn't sense that subtle tension that was normally present between two rivals. Rather, these two seemed to be at ease with the other; there was a familiarity that spoke of years of partnership.

She paused a moment at that thought…. Her older, experienced eyes moving over the two young men as Kagome spoke.

It was subtle, but there. A casual touch, a soft smile, a significant look… oh yes, the signs were there.

So perhaps Kagome wouldn't have to suffer the unpleasantness that came with having two jealous rivals. Still, taking care of one man was enough work; she couldn't imagine trying to take care of more than one.

Still, Kagome had the patience of a saint. If anyone could make such an unorthodox relationship work; it was Kagome.

Kagome had long ago lost track of time when, suddenly, both Yusuke and Kurama stiffened; their heads snapping toward the door.

"What's wrong?" Kagome said, softly as both men came to their feet in one fluid motion.

"Hiei…" they said in unision; then disappearing out of the door. Kagome followed, sensing the approaching energy. Unlike when he visited earlier; the temperamental fire demon wasn't shielding…

Yusuke and Kurama had barely stepped out of the house, when Hiei's dark form landed in front of the Tree of Ages, his katana held limply in one hand, the other holding his stomach and side; both her guests froze for a moment, even her dull senses could smell the blood in the air.

Pained garnet eyes looked up at them, he took a step and stumbled,

"HIEI!"

Both demons leapt forward; Kurama, the quicker of the two, caught the smaller demon before he hit the ground.

"Hiei…." He whispered, "what the hell happened?"

"Ambush…." Hiei growled, blood dripped onto the cobblestone floor. "They were…were waiting for…Yukina…"

Yusuke growled; the gentle ice apparition was Hiei's twin and incapable of hurting a fly.

As Yusuke and Kurama knelt next to Hiei, the red-head began tending his lover's wounds while the other spoke. Kagome only listened with half an ear; something nagged at her senses.

Kurama swore; something was preventing his plant from healing Hiei's wounds. Yusuke stood next to him; feeding Hiei energy while Kurama worked. Neither noticed the two foreign energies racing toward them.

"WIND SCAR!" A voice bellowed; surprising both Yusuke and Kurama. The massive energy, energy they had become so familiar with over the course of the last few months, came rushing toward them.

"Shiiiiit…" Yusuke snarled, shifting so that he would take the brunt of the attack; knowing that they wouldn't be able to dodge the attack.

A petite form leapt in front of the massive cyclone of destructive energy.

"Kagome!"


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own IY or YYH

The Scent of Pine and Roses

Chapter 5

* * *

Yusuke felt the bottom drop out of his stomach as an explosion rocked the small shrine; he curled around his lover's, shielding them the best he could from the dirt and wind that swirled around them.

There was no way the sweet, sassy little human had survived a direct hit from that asshole's weapon. He hung his head, clenching his fist…he was going to kill himself a dog….

"Yusuke…" Kurama whispered, "Look…"

Yusuke turned back; there, standing protectively in front of them was none other than Kagome. In her hand she held an old fashioned wooden long bow; a quiver of arrows slung across her back.

"You have exactly three seconds to tell me what the hell you think you're doing here InuYasha…" Kagome called, fury causing her powers to rise and swirl around her. "You are disrupting the peace and harmony of this shrine. Leave now!"

"Shut up wench…" InuYasha's brash voice snarled from the other side of the courtyard. "I have a score to settle with those three…"

Standing arrogantly at the top of her shrine steps, InuYasha leaned his massive sword against his shoulder; the half-demon looked worn. His jeans and tank top were ripped and torn, smeared with dirt and covered with rust colored stains; his vibrant white hair was dulled with dirt and blood and fell haphazardly across his face. Beside him both Sango and Miroku stood; equal looks of surprise on their faces, Next to them, Kikyo… looking as pristine as ever.

"Kagome…" Sango said, glancing at Miroku, "What are you doing here?"

Kagome leveled a dark anger glare at the couple; "This is my shrine…" she stated, "How dare you attack someone who claims Sanctuary here!"

Miroku gulped and looked over at his partner; Sango glanced at him. They hadn't noted where they were; they had simply followed InuYasha, there was no better tracker then the dog-demon.

"We had no idea…"Miroku said, "A thousand apologies, Kagome…" he grabbed his girlfriend's arm, "Come on…We're leaving."

"But…"Sango glanced past Kagome to the demon laying prone behind her, the other two demons they had spent the last few months hunting crouched protectively over him.

"No buts," Miroku said, "This is a sacred place now, can't you feel it?"

Sango paused; she could feel the subtle difference in the air, Miroku was right… like the temple on the other side of the mountain… this was now a sacred place. It was Holy ground.

"Where are you two going?" Kikyo demanded as both Sango and Miroku turned to leave.

"We will not violate Sanctuary," the slayer stated, giving their team leader a hard look, "This is a holy site now, to continue would be to tempt the wrath of the gods. You may be ok with that; but we have enough bad luck to invite anymore."

"Feh," InuYasha snarled, "Cowards. Fine, we don't need them to finish off this trash."

Yusuke snarled at the insult; he stepped forward, intend on teaching the half-breed a lesson once and for all…. Yet he was reluctant to leave his companions open to attack, or to stop the flow of energy to the couple.

"Hiding behind a woman, huh?" InuYasha snapped, brandishing his sword, "That's fine… I'll come to you!"

Before he could do more then move the weapon from his shoulder; an arrow ricocheted off the mystical blade, with a hiss the weapon returned to its dormant form.

"What the hell…"

"Apparently my sister has been practicing." Kikyo remarked dryly, as she pulled an arrow from her quiver and notched it. "But two can play that game, sister dear."

Kagome frowned; she knew Kikyo was a master archer, the woman made her living off the skill after all. She also had no idea what she was going to do to protect her demons.

Damn Kikyo for disrupting her peace. Damn her for attacking Kagome's new friends. Damn, damn, double damn!

Time seemed to freeze as Kikyo released her glowing arrow; Kagome knew that it would hit its mark. Kikyo never missed.

* * *

Yusuke felt Kagome's energy wash over them; sizzling harmlessly over his skin. Kurama winced in discomfort; but otherwise remained unharmed by the conflicting energies. Not surprising really, since neither Yusuke nor Kurama were full demons; their human forms seemed to provide a natural shielding against the priestess holy energy.

Hiei, however, hissed in pain as the two opposing energies clashed. Yusuke glanced between Hiei and Kagome as she spoke to her sister and the half-breed; he knew she wasn't trying to hurt them, her focus was on the fight in front of her, they were only getting the overflow.

Yusuke raised his energy slightly, attempting to compensate and block some of the harmful energy.

"Knock it off," Hiei hissed, at him, "It's actually helping…"

Yusuke blinked in surprise; allowing his energy to drop again. Sure enough, though he was in pain; Hiei's injuries were nearly healed.

A sudden scent of fear and a spike in Kagome's energy had Yusuke turning; a dull twang of a bow string caught his attention. A glowing blue arrow was sailing towards them; Kagome shifted slightly to the right… deliberately placing herself between the oncoming arrow and them.

Yusuke didn't stop to think, a common enough trait that his lovers had attempted to break him of over the years; he wrapped and arm around Kagome's waist, effectively moving her out of the way and shielding her with his body at the same time. In the same motion, he called his spirit energy to his hand and slapped at the arrow; knocking the projectile to the side with a thunderous clash of opposing energies.

When the dust cleared again; Kagome was wrapped protectively in Yusuke's embrace, and both Kurama and Hiei were now on their feet. Though his Spirit Energy shielded his hand somehow; the appendage still smoked.

"Don't EVER do that again," Yusuke growled, seemingly completely unaffected by the injury, "I won't have you sacrificing yourself for me…us…do you understand?"

Kagome blinked owlishly up into dark chocolate eyes and nodded in acknowledgement; she knew, however, that should the decision be made again, she wouldn't change her reaction. She would protect what was hers… and her mind had already claimed all three of the demons…. Even should nothing romantic ever happen between them. They were still HER demons.

"Two against one doesn't seem like fair odds to me," Yusuke muttered, looking over at his partners, "Especially considering two have experience while the other is still a novice."

"Indeed," Kurama agreed, "Shall we assist the priestess in escorting these…Exterminators, off the property?"

Three pairs of eyes regarded Kagome questioningly; she swallowed hard.

"Since when do we need permission to protect what is ours?" Hiei grumbled, moving forward with barely a sideways glance at the miko. Kagome blinked at the shorter demon and felt a smile curl her lips at his sudden acceptance.

"You don't," Kagome stated, "Every creature has a right to protect their home."

Yusuke and Kurama shared a smirk as the Mazoku cracked his knuckles in anticipation.

"Good," he said, "Then lets show this puppy how real demons fight."

The ensuing battle was decidedly one sided; Sesshomaru hadn't been kidding when he said that these three demons were some of the most powerful in the Makai.

Yusuke easily matched InuYasha in brute strength; their fight rapidly degraded into what amounted to a street brawl.

Hiei kept Kikyo occupied, easily cutting her arrows out of the sky; he seemed almost…bored with the whole ordeal.

Suddenly the grass and plants that Kagome had worked so diligently on getting to grow, burst to life and attacked InuYasha and Kikyo.

Some of the plants, Kagome had never seen before. Since when did plants have gapping mouths that dripped saliva?

She now had a greater appreciation for the construction workers who witnessed the 'forest coming alive and attacking them' all those months ago.

She glanced at Kurama, the only one who wasn't currently engaged in battle. The kitsune watched the battle intently; she could feel his energy blanketing the whole area, coaxing the plants to do his will.

Under the kitsune's touch even something as innocent as a blade of grass became a vicious and deadly weapon.

Obviously overwhelmed, InuYasha swore and grabbed Kikyo, then the two disappeared back down the stairs; retreating, for all intents and purposes. Kagome grinned, maybe now her sister would think twice before setting foot on her property again.

Yusuke and Hiei didn't move as Kurama called his plants back to seed; though, now, the property was covered in the beginnings of a new forest. Flowering plants were visible everywhere; filling the air with their sweet fragrance.

"It looks beautiful Kurama," Kagome said, coming to stand next to the red-head. He glanced at her and grinned.

"Man it felt good to beat the hell out of that idiot," Yusuke said, his eyes still lite with a feral glow.

"One of these days you're going to have to stop being so nice," Hiei stated, "Not everyone is going to have the same mercy you do."

"Ah hell," Yusuke said, "I know that, He-man; but it's no fun to just beat 'em. I like a challenge. If I killed everyone I beat… both you and Kurama would be dead too…remember?"

Hiei snorted in reply ignoring the smirk Kurama and Kagome shared.

"Hey sis," Souta called, running out of the house about fifteen minutes later. The teenager pulled up short at the sight of the grounds covered in saplings and flowers.

"Whoa…" he breathed, than glanced at his sister and the three men standing with her. His gazed flicked between them before he shrugged.

He was by no means ignorant to the fact that the forest that surrounded his new home was a haven for demons; so in all reality it didn't really surprise him that his sister had somehow managed to befriend a few. Briefly he wondered if their mother realized that the 'nice young gentlemen' that she was so fond of were in reality demons.

"What's up Souta?" Kagome asked; her brother blinked and looked at her.

"Your…uh…mom is on the phone…" he said, "She sounds pissed…."

"Huh? How the hell did she get this number?"

"I dunno…" he said with a scowl, he knew full well how badly that woman had upset his sister in the past; he adored his older sister and couldn't imagine anyone being mean to her. "You want to talk to her?"

Kagome sighed, "Yea I'll come deal with her.," she grumbled, "God I hate that woman. Excuse me guys…"

When Kagome went back into the house, Souta turned back to look at the three males in his yard. He wasn't blind, he knew how much his sister liked the two taller demons; hell, it certainly didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what with the flirting Kagome and Yusuke did.

Yusuke could feel eyes on him; he had expected Kagome's brother to go back inside with his sister. Instead, the teenager watched them with a knowing look…a look that belonged on someone much older.

"Don't hurt her," he said suddenly, _Or I'll hurt you_… hung in the air between them. The threat didn't need to be spoken to be understood. Though in reality there was very little the young human could do to them; Yusuke didn't dismiss the brother's unspoken threat. Instead, Yusuke gave a small nod of understanding; satisfied, Souta turned and went back into the house.

A few moments later Kagome came back outside with a smug smile on her lips.

"That was quick..." Yusuke stated, the smile turned into a full grin.

"I just set the phone down and let her yell into the empty air," Kagome said, "Nothing pisses her off more than being ignored."

"Does she call often?" Kurama asked; Kagome shrugged,

"Nope, I deliberately didn't tell them where I moved to and left no forwarding address," she replied, "Unfortunately, Kikyo is a huge tattle-tail. Apparently the shrine is listed in the new phone books. She was just calling to yell at me for 'disrespecting my sister and choosing the horrible filthy disgusting demons over my own flesh and blood'" Kagome gave an unlady-like snort, "I swear that woman is some-kinda stupid. I mean really; I was adopted, I had to be. In any case, I told her I'd prefer you guys company to 'my own flesh and blood's' any day of the week…. And when she started screaming at me… I just set the phone down. In about an hour she'll realize that she's been screaming at no one."

"So you're simply going to avoid her?" Hiei stated, the contempt evident in his tone. Kagome smiled at him.

"No," she stated, "I'm going to hit them where it hurts… their wallet. You see, I've tried confronting my mother on how she treats me… and it didn't work. I was willing to leave them be and forget them as long as I didn't have to deal with them. But now, I'm not feeling so generous. You'd be amazed at how much of their business is reliant on _reputation_."

The smile that curled her lips was positively evil; the three demons glanced at each other and wisely chose to remain silent as the petite innocent looking priestess planned various malicious acts against her sibling.

"Should we…I dunno, distract her?" Yusuke asked softly, leaning close to Kurama in an attempt to not draw the little miko's attention.

"Be my guest…" Kurama replied, with a smirk.

"Any ideas?" Yusuke asked, "C'mon you're suppose be our strategic mastermind."

Hiei rolled his eyes as he listened to his companions argue softly back and forth; since when did they become such cowards? To think that two of the most renown demons in the Makai were scared of a little slip of a girl… pathetic. What would their enemies say?

"Miko," Hiei's quiet tone cut through Kagome's schemes; she paused and glanced at the fiery demon. She let out an indignant shriek as Hiei suddenly picked her up,

"Cease your evil plotting," he stated, "You're making the big-bad demons nervous."

Yusuke and Kurama starred in shock at Hiei's words as the apparition zipped out of sight; taking their miko with him.

"HEY!" Yusuke yelled, then glancing at his red-headed companion, "Did Hiei seriously just steal our girl?"

Kurama laughed, "It seems Hiei has come to his decision," he said, "We should probably catch up…" he trailed off as Yusuke's energy rippled over the air, and the Mazoku's form disappeared through the trees. Shaking his head, Kurama followed; he didn't want to miss out of what promised to be an interesting evening.

* * *

**A/N: Ok all done. Like I said, it wasn't supposed to be very long lol. As for pairings... it's technically KuramaxHiei and KagomexYusuke. Buuuut they aren't opposed to 'sharings'... so I guess you could say it's kinda a harem fic. IDK. I'm not going to get to far into it. I hope ya'll like it. Don't forget REVIEW!**


	6. Notice

Notice:

Ordinarily don't post notes like this...however I have gotten numerous Guest reviews where they have reviewed Chapter 1 and are requesting more chapters.

First off: please sign in so I can reply to your review and answer your questions.

Second: There a total of five (5) chapters to thisfic. That's it... there will not be anymore to this fic. It is Complete as is.

Third:Are the other four chapters not showing up? Is that why I keep getting so many reviews for chapter 1? Please let me know if this is the case. From my side I'm showing all five chapters are visable and accessable. If not please tell me so I can fix it.

Thank you

-Nyx


End file.
